Steering-gear.



A. H. FETZBR.

STEERING GEAR.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 21, 1910.

1,060, 1 '75, Patented Apr. 29, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH LID-,WASIHNGTON. D. c.

A. H. FETZER.

I STEERING GEAR.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.21,1910.

Patented Apr. 29, 1913.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

on mu COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH CD-. WASHINGTON, D. c.

ALLEN H. FETZER, OF GALION, OHIO.

STEERING-GEAR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 29,1913.

Application filed January 21, 1910. Serial N 0. 539,325.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALLEN H. Fn'rznn, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Galion, in the county ofCrawford and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Steering-Gears; and I do hereby declare the following tobe a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use,the same.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in steering gearsfor automobiles or similarly propelled vehicles and my object is toprovide a worm and construct the same in two sections, whereby saidsections may be adjusted to compensate for wear. I

A further object is to provide a swinging arm which is adapted tooperate the steering mechanism.

A further object is to provide means to cooperate with said worm andmove longitudinally thereof, and, a further object is to provide meansfor attaching said swinging arm to the movable parts on the worm ear. DOther objects and advantages will be hereinafter referred to and moreparticularly pointed out in the specification and claim.

In the accompanying drawings which are made a part of this application,Figure l is an elevation of the worm as applied to use. Fig. 2 is a planView thereof. Fig. 3 is a detail view partly in section of the worm andparts attached thereto. Fig. t is an enlarged sectional view of theworm. Fig. 5 is a detail view partly in section of the worm employed inconnection with the steer-' ing mechanism. Fig. 6 is an end elevation ofthe worm removed from its supporting frame, and, Fig. 7 is a detail viewas seen on line 77 Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawings in which similar reference numerals designatecorresponding parts throughout the several views, 1 indicates a framewhich may be constructed in any preferred manner, the end sections 2 ofwhich are provided with threaded openings 3 for a purpose to behereinafter set forth. Extending through the openings 3 is a shaft 1,which shaft is provided with a socket 5 which extends longitudinallythrough the shaft and into said socket 5 is adapted to be secured theusual form of steering shaft 6, a wheel 7 being attached to the upperend of said shaft 6, whereby the shaft may be readily rotated.

Substantially one half of that portion of the shaft 4 extending betweenthe ends 2 has fixed thereon or formed integral therewith a worm section8, while the remaining portion of the shaft between the ends 2 issurrounded by a similar worm section 9, said worm section 9 beingslidably mounted upon the shaft 4 and caused to rotate therewith bymeans of keys 10, said keys being seated in grooves 11 in the shaft 1,the pro truding portions thereof entering ways 12 extendinglongitudinally of the worm sec tion 9.

Engaging the outer ends of the worm sections 8 and 9 are ball bearings13 and let respectively and in order to properly adjust the wormsections and also compensate for any wear thereon, adjusting nuts 15 and16 are entered through the threaded openings 3 in the ends 2 and areadapted to abut against the ball bearings at their inner ends, while theouter ends of the nuts are provided with beads 17 and 18 in which areprovided openings 19 to receive a spanner wrench or the like when saidnuts are to be rotated.

, hen the nuts have been turn-ed to their proper position, they aresecurely locked by means of set screws or the like 20, which are enteredin threaded openings in the ends 2 and bind on the threaded exterior ofthe nuts so that when said nuts are once properly adjusted, they areheld in said adjusted position until such time as it is again desired toadjust the worms. Adapted to cooperate with the worm sections 8 and 9are sleeves 21 and 22 respectively, each sleeve being interiorlythreaded, whereby when the worm is rotated, the sleeves will move inunison from end to end of said worm sections.

The sleeves are provided respectively with laterally extending arms 23and 24, which arms are positioned at the meeting ends of said sleevesand receive the knuckle end 25 of a lever 26, the meeting faces of thearms having ways 27 and 28 therein to receive blocks 29 and 30respectively, said blocks having curved recesses31 and 32 to form a seatfor the knuckle 25, which knuckle is substantially circular in crosssection and by providing the ways 27 and 28 of a greater depth than thedepth of the blocks, said blocks will slide back and forth in the wayswhen the lever 26 swings on its pivot. The stem portion 33 of the lever26 is pivoted in any suitable form of bearings (not shown) and hassecured to its upper end a crank or pitman 34, the outer end of saidcrank having a ball 35 thereon, which ball is received in a socket 36carried by the usual or any preferred form of steering mechanism 37 andit will be readily seen that as the sleeves are moved back and forthover the worm sections, the crank 34 will be swung in the arc of acircle and the steering mechanism thus operated.

In assembling the parts of the gear together, the sleeves 21 and 22 arepositioned adjacent the inner ends of the worm sections and the knuckleend 25 of the lever 26 po sitioned between the arms 23 and 24, when theadjusting nut 16 is moved inwardly and the worm section 9 moved towardthe stationary section 8, which will result in form- .ing a perfectunion between the bearing blocks 29 and 30 and. the knuckle 25 and itwill be readily seen that as the sleeves travel in unison, theadjustment of the movable worm section through the medium of theadjusting nut will retain the arms of the sleeves in engagement with theknuckle until such time as the adjusting nut is again released. It willfurther be seen that as the bearing parts of the gearing become worn,such wear may be readily compensated for through the medium of theadjusting nuts 15 and 16, thus maintaining a close union between theseveral parts at all times. .It will further be seen that by providing adevice of this class, the course of the wheels cannot be changed bycoming in contact with objects in the path of the wheels as the threadson the Worm are so arranged as to form a perfect lock between the wormsections and the sleeves, in which event the sleeves cannot be moved onthe worm sections, except through the medium of the steering shaft 6. Inthis connection, applicant further desires to state that the movement ofthe vehicle will always be under the control of the operator at whateverdegree of angle the wheels may be turned. It will further be seen thatin View of the simplicity of the herein described steering gear, theparts thereof may be very cheaply constructed and readily assembledtogether and it will likewise be seen that although the parts arecomparatively light, the manner of constructing the same will renderthem strong and durable and that any parts thereof may be readilyrenewed should they become broken or Worn out.

lVhat I claim is:

In a steering gear, a frame having parallel side pieces, laterallyprojecting ends secured between the opposite ends of said side pieces, ashaft positioned through said ends having threaded sections thereon,sleeves threaded on said sections, and having arms slidably receivedbetween said side pieces, said arms having radial guide ways in theiropposing faces, a block slidably mounted in each of said ways having cupbearings in their opposing faces and having the outer o-pposingcornersbeveled, a shaft mounted through said side pieces having an arm, saidarm being positioned in said side pieces and having a knuckle at its endadapted to be seated between said cup bearing blocks, whereby when thesleeves are moved longitudinally in unison, on the threaded sections,the crank shaft will be oscillated and the blocks moved radially of theworms to prevent binding of the knuckle.

In testimony whereof Iihave signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALLEN H. FETZER.

WVitnesses:

C. H. I-IENKEL, BERTHA Gnnnn.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents.

' Washington, D. C."

